Ask Cari

When the rider is holding the inside rein with too much pressure, the horse is unhappy, uncomfortable and will not move with complete freedom in any gait. A simple effective excercise for the rider is to continually release the inside rein by softening the arm muscles and relaxing the shoulders. The result is impressive with a horse in balance. Note the difference the rider makes in these two images. Try focusing on a creating a soft neck in your horse simply by relaxing in the saddle without throwing away the connection.